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  Its October 1862, and my heart is pounding.   Its 

the monthly slave auction and this time my kids are 

old enough to be sold.   I don't want to loose them.  

"Anna Grace!" The man yells my name. I walk to the 

stage with my two children.   As we are touched, 

stripped, and looked at, I pray they won't take 

them.   "Children, step forward."   A bearded white 

man, takes them by the neck and drags them 

outside.   Oh no! I fall to my knees in despair as I 

watch them leave my sight.

 As I walk back to my masters 

house, I wonder if I will ever see 

my kids again.   I have to think of 

a way to get them back!   There 

must be a way.   When I walk into 

the house, I hear something 

exciting on the t.v. 

  Some man on the television cries out 

"President Abraham Lincoln wants to free 

all slaves! Now the south wants to go to 

war."   My master got angry, and started 

fussing.   The man on t.v. said that the 

southern men will go to war tomorrow. So 

master John packed some things and left.

 Its a cold September night and the 

Confederates and the Union were at it in 

the Civil War.   The next week, we found 

out the North won, and the slaves were 

to be freed.   I was filled with joy, but 

Master John was not.  

  It has been a year, and not all slaves 

are free.   The date is September 21, 

1862.   I need to find my kids.   Are they 

free?

  Today is September 22, and we were 

sitting in the den.   The television came 

on and President Lincoln appeared.   He 

had written a document to free all 

slaves.   The document was called The 

Emancipation Proclamation.   It freed 

slaves in all the rebellious states.   Am I 

free?   Do I have freedom?   Where are 

my children?   Where do I go?

  I walked into town and there were blacks 

everywhere.   I guess we really are free. 

None of knew what was happening or where 

to go, or even what to do!   But in the back 

of my mind, I knew exactly what I had to 

do.   Find my children.   But where could they 

be?  

     I have searched for about 2 years now, 

and I have had no luck.

        I have made many new friends though, on my 

journey.   I met another woman, Ally,   that lost 

her kids in an auction too! But, hers were older, 

and much wiser.  

   The next week, Ally and I were walking into 

town.   First we went to the market, then the 

parlor.   When we were making our way back, 

there was a crowd surrounding the news stand.  

The telegram had said "March 3, 1865.  

Congress has established a Freedman's 

Bureau." 

    "Whats a Freedman's Bureau?" We all 

asked.   It said that it was to only be in service 

for one year, and it offered medical aid, food, 

education, and so much more.   If only the kids 

were here to see this.   "We must go there!" 

stated Ally.   I agreed in excitement.  

     I haven't been this happy in quite a while.  

The freedman's bureau has helped so many of 

us newly freed African-Americans.   We now 

have rights to an education, religion, and the 

right to contract.  

    We all had to help out, though.   The 

freedmen were to work on plantations.  

Every few weeks we would get train loads 

of people to come.   These people needed 

help so badly, they risked their lives just to 

come here.   So many people were sick.   It 

was horrible.   This week we had more 

people die, than ever before.  

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